Web We Weave
by Woulvorine
Summary: A series of drabbles. LATEST: Korra's been sheltered all her life. This time, she finds out the hard way that fire can destroy everything.
1. Education

**A/N 1: **I wrote this directly after watching Ep. 7, with which I was mildly irritated. I'm curious to see how the "let's all live together!" situation is going to pan out. I figure that having to be around Mako and Asami for extended periods of time without an escape would create a lot of heartache for Korra. So this was the result.

180 words.

Education

Since arriving at Air Temple Island, Korra's education has expanded.

She has learned that evasive maneuvering sometimes trumps direct attacks.

She has learned that the birds begin singing hours before dawn.

She has learned that being in love means learning new ways to be brave.

Korra sprints through this mental list of things that she has learned as she sprints from the image that seems to be burned into her retinas. Oddly, she thinks as she forces air through her lungs (which seem to be turning inside out from the effort), it wasn't the sight of Mako's long-fingered, strong hands gripping Asami's waist, or the way he angled his head slightly to capture crimson lips in a searing, soul-searching kiss. No, it was the way Asami's wavy hair seemed to encompass the both of them, flickering in the breeze like dark flames, and finally, blocking Mako from her view. To her, it was like he had just disappeared. Poof. Gone.

Korra is not used to not getting what she needs.

But she was always a fast learner.

**A/N 2: **This will probably end up being a series of drabbles of the show (which is my favorite medium), mainly because I'm sad that we don't get a lot of major character development or backgrounds. So huzzah speculation.

If anyone has any suggestions on what I should write about next, no matter the character, please let me know in your review. Even if it's just a one-word prompt, I think I could do something with it. (In fact, one-word prompts are my favorite.)

Comments and critiques are welcome.


	2. Space

This one's for arch-nsha, who gave me the prompt "space."

184 words.

ooo

Space

One. Two. Two of my hands, sitting side-by-side, is what separates Mako and me, sitting here in silence, our feet dangling off of one of the cliffs of Air Temple Island. The moon is a crescent fingernail in the sky, casting minimal light, but just enough to where I can see Mako's head turn toward me. His eyes are silver in this light. I decide that gold will always be better than silver.

One. Two. Two seconds, the span of my heartbeat, is how long he stares at me before once more facing the bay. His hands flex, strong, nimble hands, but they remain on either side of him, and I hear him exhale steam.

One. Two. Two of my hands, sitting side-by-side, is what separates the two brightest stars in the sky. I hold my hand out at arm's length, and keep both eyes open.

One. Two. Two eyes open, all the time. I will see him clearly, and recognize the space for what it is: a barrier of hands, to keep both of us from doing something we regret.

One.

Two.

Three.

ooo

I'm not really sure I like the ending, but oh well. Maybe the next one will be better. I tried to go with the whole double meaning thing: outer space vs. distance-space, but I don't know how well that worked out.

I can haz 'nother prompt?


	3. Ash

My sister gave me the prompt "ash," and this is what happened.

158 words.

ooo

Ash

Korra, having been almost absurdly protected and sheltered all her life, always enjoyed the smell of burning things. It meant tales of princes and thieves and phoenixes beside a warm fire, her father's pipe sending sweet smoke across a pile of buffalo-yak furs, the delicious sizzle of zebra-seal meat. It meant home.

Later, it would mean love, passion, a boy of fire who tasted like everything she had ever wanted. Ash would linger on his lips, and that's when she knew she was doing something right.

It wasn't until that day, that one day, moment, eternity when the smell of burning things gave Korra no pleasure at all. The smell, this time, was cloying, a macabre mimicry of all she had loved. Now, he was burning to the ground and she was screaming, it must have been her screaming because he wasn't moving, wasn't there anymore, he burned for real this time. That day, it meant loss.


End file.
